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  • Monotropic Expansion
  • 1. Introduction
    • 1.1 Prevailing Deficit Framework
    • 1.2 Purpose and Goals
    • 1.3 Monotropic Expansion Model
    • 1.4 Addressing Accessibility
    • 1.5 Paper Overview
    • 1.6 Positionality and Rationale
  • 2. Model Mechanism
    • 2.1 Anchoring
    • 2.2 Iterative Context Building
    • 2.3 Cognitive Inertia
    • 2.4 Directionality and Precision
    • 2.5 Scalability and Flexibility
  • 3. Neurological Foundation
    • 3.1 Salience Anchoring and Internal Relevance
    • 3.2 Attentional Modulation and Cognitive Inertia
    • 3.3 Predictive Coding and Inside-Out Construction
    • 3.4 Neurodevelopmental Trajectories and Structural Divergence
    • 3.5 Implications for Structural Modeling and Neuroethical Practice
  • 4. Theoretical Alignment
    • 4.1 Monotropism (Murray, Lesser, Lawson, 2005)
    • 4.2 Executive Dysfunction and Attentional Flexibility
    • 4.3. Weak Central Coherence (Frith, 1989)
    • 4.4. Theory of Mind (ToM) and the Assumption of Deficiency
    • 4.5. Language Processing and Internal Narrative
    • 4.6. Trauma, Inertia, and Pattern Reinforcement
    • 4.7. Double Empathy Problem (Milton, 2012)
    • 4.8. DSM-5 Framing and Pathologized Comparison
  • 5. Implications
    • 5.1. Diagnostic Framing and the Myth of Functioning Labels
    • 5.2. Coexisting Neurodivergent Conditions and Inertial Structures
    • 5.3. Rethinking Support and Accommodation
    • 5.4. Therapy Approaches, Cognitive Models, and Ethical Misalignment
    • 5.5. Self-Perception, Identity, and Communication Disconnects
    • 5.6. Social Systems, Education, and Institutional Friction
  • 6. Reframing Autism
    • 6.1. The Structural Model of Divergence
    • 6.2. Moving Beyond Developmental Language
    • 6.3. Implications for Language, Ethics, and Research
  • 7. Conclusion
  • 8. Update Log
  • Contact & Support
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Last updated 2 months ago

2.4 Directionality and Precision Over Speed

A critical feature of Monotropic Expansion is its directional orientation. While neurotypical cognition often utilizes outside-in strategies—applying existing mental schemas to interpret detail—monotropic cognition builds outward from a specific point, integrating new information in relation to internal coherence rather than external expectation.

This results in a cognitive style that prioritizes depth over speed, precision over generalization, and consistency over flexibility—not because flexibility is impossible, but because it is costly and inefficient within this structure.

The contrast is not one of superiority or inferiority, but of cognitive trajectory. Both styles have strengths and limitations—but autistic individuals are often penalized for failing to mimic the trajectory of outside-in thinkers, rather than supported for the integrity of their inside-out processing.

Figure 2.5. Comparative Flow Paths. A side-by-side schematic comparing monotropic and polytropic cognition. The monotropic model expands outward from a central anchor toward broader meaning, while the polytropic model converges inward from distributed attention toward a central point of integrated focus. The directional contrast reflects opposing cognitive inertia.